"Enchanted:” The E! True Disneyworld Story of a Birthday Princess (UPDATE 4/18)

[jewels1916]

Hi Miss Em! Just subbing in to your ptr! I am waaaay jealous of your little graduating Mickey pin. I searched and searched for one when I was there in September cause I was there celebrating my graduation from grad school and couldn't find one! Anyway, I am loving your ptr!

 

[Enchanted]

I love Forever 21!! Actually, the yellow dress I just posted in my PTR is from there too!

Awww Bridge to Terabithia and Charlotte's Web both broke my heart when I was little. I would need a giant box of tissues for that reading list! That sounds like a fun course, though.

I'm not going to lie... because of your PTR I kind of want a tiara for the parks.

Forever 21 is awesome for getting cheap sundresses! They are so great!

I loved "Charlotte's Web" as a kid. I used to carry it around with me everywhere. It and "The Secret Garden" were my favorites.

And you should totally get a tiara for the parks! You will have a great time if you do, I promise!

Hi Miss Em! Just subbing in to your ptr! I am waaaay jealous of your little graduating Mickey pin. I searched and searched for one when I was there in September cause I was there celebrating my graduation from grad school and couldn't find one! Anyway, I am loving your ptr!

Welcome! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it! Aunt C lucked into the grad pin for me while we were there. I'll keep my eyes peeled for another one for you!

 

[Enchanted]

Today’s the big day! The big 2-1!!! Yes, that’s right….

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!!

I’m so excited! I’m 21! I’m legal! I can buy margaritas AND rent my own car!

We’re not doing anything special today since our March trip is when I’ll be doing most of my celebrating. And since I don’t really drink, I’m not planning on hitting the town and getting wasted like most kids my age. Instead, I spent the day watching Disney movies (I watched “Enchanted,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Little Mermaid.”) and cyber-shopping. I may ask opinions on a new Vera Bradley bag later because I’m thinking of treating myself… Stay tuned….

My mom got me an assorted cheesecake platter instead of a cake at my request because bakery icing always makes me sick, and I only allow myself to eat cheesecake on special occasions since it’s so fattening. So what better time for cheesecake than my birthday!? We’ll probably also order pizza or something (Pizza Hut! My favorite!) and watch Lost and American Idol. Not much, but I’m not a big “party” person because I get all embarrassed about being the center of attention. I much prefer quiet birthdays at home…with HUGE Disney trips to follow!

Also, there are three gift bags sitting on our kitchen counter with my presents in them. They’re probably not much since my main present is our trip in March, but still. They’re PRESENTS. And look! They’re all colorful and pretty:

See! Methinks Mom is testing my integrity by putting them in bags instead of wrapping them like a normal person.

So those are the big b-day plans!

I’ll post pictures of my presents later!

Peace, love, Mickey!

Emily

 

[Enchanted]

I just noticed....

Not only did I turn 21 today...but this is my 500th POST!!!



I'm a DIS Veteran now! Go me!

 

[Rora]

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY Emily!!!!

You sound just like me at 21- I wasn't really into the partying/drinking etc so I stayed home with my fiance and watched Disney movies! It was a great birthday!!

Ah! A Vera Bradley fan! I have so many of their bags-- I might be addicted.. I hope you get one!!

Those presents look tempting! Can't wait to see whats in them!

Again, happy birthday!!

HAPPY 500th post!!

 

[Enchanted]

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY Emily!!!!

You sound just like me at 21- I wasn't really into the partying/drinking etc so I stayed home with my fiance and watched Disney movies! It was a great birthday!!

Ah! A Vera Bradley fan! I have so many of their bags-- I might be addicted.. I hope you get one!!

Those presents look tempting! Can't wait to see whats in them!

Again, happy birthday!!

HAPPY 500th post!!

Thanks, Rora! It sounds like your 21st birthday was fun! A night of Disney movies is my kind of b-day!

Can you believe this will be my first Vera Bradley bag? I've been dying to get one! I also love Coach bags, but they're just waaaaay too expensive for me right now. Vera Bradley bags are just as cute and in my price range. They give off that whole Bohemian vibe, which I love.

I promise I'll post pictures of my presents ASAP!

 

[TeaForTulips]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


​

I live in a town with 5 major casinos, so my 21st birthday was spent with my family taking me out to dinner and gambling! I am not a big gambler, but for my 21st birthday it was a lot of fun.

Spending the day watching Disney movies and eating cheesecake with people you love sounds like an amazing birthday!!! I hope your birthday turns out wonderful! Cant wait to know whats in those bags!

I too am a vera bradley junkie!! When I was fresh out of school I had a job in Pennsylvania making very good money and I totally built up my VB collection. I even won a bag once! Now buying a VB at full price is a treat, but can we say EBay?


Happy Birthday Again! Yay!

 

[Enchanted]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


​

I live in a town with 5 major casinos, so my 21st birthday was spent with my family taking me out to dinner and gambling! I am not a big gambler, but for my 21st birthday it was a lot of fun.

Spending the day watching Disney movies and eating cheesecake with people you love sounds like an amazing birthday!!! I hope your birthday turns out wonderful! Cant wait to know whats in those bags!

I too am a vera bradley junkie!! When I was fresh out of school I had a job in Pennsylvania making very good money and I totally built up my VB collection. I even won a bag once! Now buying a VB at full price is a treat, but can we say EBay?


Happy Birthday Again! Yay!

Hey, Tarah! Oooh, a casino b-day would be fun! My cousins love to gamble, and they even won a $20,000 jackpot once! I've obviously never been since I'm just now old enough, but I love to play poker with my friends. I'd probably go and watch everyone else play so I could enjoy the experience but not lose any money.

Another VB fan! That's so cool that you won a bag once! Awesome! I'm really excited about getting my first bag. All the patterns are so pretty! I'm having trouble picking just one!

Thanks for the b-day wishes!

 

[HeatherBelle614]

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Great choice on the cheesecake; DH said for you! That's his fav!

 

[jewels1916]

Happy Birthday (a day late )
Cheesecake sounds yummy! I don't like bakery icing either, the only kind of cake that I ever eat is my Grandma's strawberry cake. Hmm...so good....maybe she'll make me one in April for my bday! Hope yours was great!

 

[Enchanted]

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Great choice on the cheesecake; DH said for you! That's his fav!

Thanks, Heather!

Tell your DH that the cheesecake was waaaaay yummy and that I ate a second piece just for him.

Happy Birthday (a day late )
Cheesecake sounds yummy! I don't like bakery icing either, the only kind of cake that I ever eat is my Grandma's strawberry cake. Hmm...so good....maybe she'll make me one in April for my bday! Hope yours was great!

B-day wishes are great even when they're late! (Hey, that rhymed!)

Your Grandma's strawberry cake sounds gooooood. I love strawberries! I'm not a huge cake fan either. My mom makes cake every so often, but usually she doesn't ice it and we eat it with fruit, which I like a lot better than lots and lots of icing.

 

[Enchanted]

My birthday has come and gone for another year, and for the first time in a long while, I’m really sad to see it go. It was such a nice day!

We ended up ordering pizza, and watching American Idol and Lost as I predicted. I had two pieces of cheesecake: one strawberry swirl and one chocolate with Oreo cookie crust. And for the rest of the week I plan on eating nothing but salad and running on the treadmill to make up for it! I meant to take a picture of the cake with my candles on it, but I forgot! It’s too bad too because the candles were polka-dotted and oh-so-stylish. I blew out all my candles in one blow, which means that I’ll hopefully get my birthday wish, but I can’t tell you what it was or it won’t come true!

I was so excited to open my presents! I’m very easy to please. They could have given me plastic silverware, and I probably would have squealed like a five-year-old getting their first Barbie. In the first bag was an iTunes gift card, which I already used to buy Disney music for our loooooooong road trip to WDW! You’ll hear more about the music in an upcoming post!

In the second bag was a brand spankin new 2 GB memory card for my camera!

Now I DEFINITELY won’t run out of room for pics while we’re in WDW! Best of all, it also came with a smaller memory card that I can put in my phone to store music, videos, and photos! My brother has one for his phone, and it’s really sweet! I can’t wait to use mine!

And finally, the piece de resistance :

Isn’t it gorgeous? It’s my gift from my parents! They always try to buy me a nice piece of jewelry for either Christmas or my birthday, something classic that I can wear for years without it going out of style or me getting tired of it. They did a great job with the ring! It’s sterling silver so its color shouldn’t turn with wear, and it won’t make my skin break out! (I have an allergy to certain metals that causes my skin to break out in hives. Sterling silver is one of the few things that safe for me to wear.) Plus, the stones are a light purple color like amethyst, which is my birthstone! I just adore it! I’ve only taken it off to go to bed and take the pictures in the box.

Throughout the night, I got plenty of birthday wishes from friends and family. Aunt C and her husband called and sang “Happy Birthday,” which is a tradition every year. I also got several texts and heard from a few old friends on Facebook and e-mail, which was nice. It’s nice to know that even when you don’t keep in regular touch with people that they remember your birthday and make the effort to wish you well.

And of course, thank you to all my new friends who are reading this now and who stopped by to send me birthday wishes last night! I really appreciate it! It’s so fun to be able to share the magic both of my birthday and my upcoming trip with people who truly understand pixie dust. So thanks for making everything even more special by taking part in my little journey!

Stay tuned: a more Disney-fied update will be up real soon!

 

[jewels1916]

Glad to see that you had such a good b-day! And I love the ring your parents gave you. It's beautiful. It looks similar to the one my parents gave me when I graduated from high school (same purple stone, is it tanzanite?) I have a similar metal allergy, where I get all itchy and get little blisters like the metal is burning me or something. Although for me, sterling silver is one of the ones I cannot wear. I can mostly only wear the really expensive stuff (which means I don't have a lot of jewelry.)

Even belt buckles and metal buttons on jeans can make me all itchy.

-that was a fun topic of conversation, wasn't it?
Ha ha.

Can't wait to hear about your new road trip tunes!!

 

[Rora]

Looks like you got some really nice gifts. I'm so happy you had a nice birthday!!

That ring is just goregous!

 

[TeaForTulips]

Wow! Your ring is beautiful! Your parents have great taste!

My mom makes me a homemade cheesecake each year for my birthday... I think it is soooo much better than store bought. It is less dense and very creamy. I love it! Mmmm.. I might have to get her to make me one pre-birthday. That sounds so yummy!

I'm glad you had a wonderful birthday!

 

[autumnpalm]

Oh my gosh!!! I can't believe I missed your birthday yesterday.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!


I absolutely am in love with your ring, it is so, so, so beautiful! OMG.

I hope you had an amazing day... it sounds like you did! That cake sounds delicious and it seems like my kind of day... family and Disney movies. I would love to see pictures of the Vera Bradley bag you're considering.

I hope this year bring you peace, joy, happiness and above all... MAGIC!

 

[Enchanted]

Glad to see that you had such a good b-day! And I love the ring your parents gave you. It's beautiful. It looks similar to the one my parents gave me when I graduated from high school (same purple stone, is it tanzanite?) I have a similar metal allergy, where I get all itchy and get little blisters like the metal is burning me or something. Although for me, sterling silver is one of the ones I cannot wear. I can mostly only wear the really expensive stuff (which means I don't have a lot of jewelry.)

Even belt buckles and metal buttons on jeans can make me all itchy.

-that was a fun topic of conversation, wasn't it?
Ha ha.

Can't wait to hear about your new road trip tunes!!

Belt buckles and metal jean buttons make me itchy too! I get the same little blisters you described! I don't know what I would do if I couldn't wear sterling silver though. Almost all of my jewelry is made of it since I don't have the money for the more expensive stuff.

Looks like you got some really nice gifts. I'm so happy you had a nice birthday!!

That ring is just goregous!

Thanks, Rora! I love my ring so much that I can't stop looking at it!

Wow! Your ring is beautiful! Your parents have great taste!

My mom makes me a homemade cheesecake each year for my birthday... I think it is soooo much better than store bought. It is less dense and very creamy. I love it! Mmmm.. I might have to get her to make me one pre-birthday. That sounds so yummy!

I'm glad you had a wonderful birthday!

Thanks!

Homemade cheesecake sounds so amazing!

Oh my gosh!!! I can't believe I missed your birthday yesterday.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!


I absolutely am in love with your ring, it is so, so, so beautiful! OMG.

I hope you had an amazing day... it sounds like you did! That cake sounds delicious and it seems like my kind of day... family and Disney movies. I would love to see pictures of the Vera Bradley bag you're considering.

I hope this year bring you peace, joy, happiness and above all... MAGIC!

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Meg!

I love my ring so much! I've never had one that I wanted to wear all the time, but this one is so gorgeous I can't bear to take it off.

I'll post a pic of the VB bag in the next update so I can get your opinion!

 

[Enchanted]

Hey, everyone! I’m afraid this update is what I like to call a “drive-by posting.” Short, sweet, and to the point! Mom had one of her teeth pulled yesterday and is on pain medicine so I’m her chauffeur today. It’s been nice to spend so extra quality time with her. Between our conflicting school and work schedules, I sometimes feel like I hardly see her anymore. Anyways, I should have a longer post about ADRs and such up later tonight.

In the meantime, though, I thought I would talk VB. That’s right…it’s a Vera Bradley post!!!!

I sat my mom down with the Vera Bradley website a couple nights ago, on my birthday, and asked her for her opinions on the bags I was looking at because I just knew she’d be able to help me figure out which one to pick. She knows me so well, and I think we narrowed it down to the perfect one for me!

Here it is:

What do you think?

My mom saw it and said, "That one's totally you." I like it because it looks very summery and beachy and bohemian. Perfect for vacation and the summer beyond, right? I haven’t ordered it yet, but I’ll probably get to order it in time for our trip because I got my taxes done earlier this afternoon, and I’m getting a $400 refund! I’m going to use the majority of it for credit card bills, but this way I can get my bag without feeling guilty for spending the extra money.

Okay, so I have to get going now to pick up my brother from his job, but I promise to be back later with another update!

TTFN!

Emily

 

[Enchanted]

Do you ever find yourself driving down the road, or sitting at the doctor’s office, or laying in bed, and thinking, “I would kill for a <insert Disney treat made of awesomeness here> right now!” For me, it’s usually a Dole Whip. Or school bread. Or Tonga Toast. Ahhhhhh….

Where was I? Oh yes…. This post is about the deliciousness of WDW, from its restaurants to its snack carts. Below I’ve made a list of our ADRs for table service restaurants and a few counter service restaurant possibilities.

WARNING: READING THIS POST ON AN EMPTY STOMACH MAY CAUSE READER TO SUFFER FROM HALLUCINATORY MIRAGES OF AMAZING DISNEY FOOD. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.....

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Our ADRs:

(Restaurants with *s denote places that absolutely will not be missed while the others may be canceled should we opt to eat counter service or change up our park touring schedules. Also, sorry some of these pictures are so random. Since we haven't been to some of these restaurants, I don't have any pics yet! )

Coral Reef (Lunch) – Ate here the first time last trip. We had a table right next to the aquarium, and this sting-ray just sort of sat there and stared at us the whole time. Hahaha. The food was awesome so we thought we’d do it again and save some room for dessert this time!

Le Cellier (Lunch) – We love Le Cellier. It’s so cozy, and the Canadian staff are always really friendly and fun. They have this mango smoothie there that’s ridonkulously (Can you believe that spell check doesn’t consider that a word? ) good, and my mom loves the mushroom risotto as well.

Here’s a pic of the mango smoothie:

YUM!

* California Grill (Dinner) – Never been here before, but the menu sounds delicious and like I said before we’ll be able to see Wishes! I’m thinking of trying some sushi for the first time while we’re there…

* Boma (Dinner) – Also never been here before despite a previous stay at AKL. Mom’s really looking forward to this one. The food sounds delish!

* Kona Café (Dinner) – We love Kona Café breakfast. Tonga Toast=LOVE. But after exploring the food porn threads, we decided to try dinner this trip because it looks AMAZING!!!

Mama Melrose (Lunch) – I have a weakness for pasta so MM seems like just the place to fulfill my carb addiction. I’ve heard a lot of good things about MM and pictures in the food porn thread look delectable so we decided to give it a whirl this trip for the first time.

* Liberty Tree Tavern (Lunch) – One of our favorite meals on property! Ooey Gooey Cake, here I come!

Crystal Palace (Dinner) – We lucked into a walk-up lunch at CP a couple trips ago, and we loved it so we thought we would try our hand at dinner this time around. It’s the only character meal we have scheduled.

This was the view out the window from our table:

Isn't it pretty?


Possible counter service restaurants:

Pecos Bill – Pecos is kind of a tradition. We have always eaten here at least once on every trip. It was the first restaurant we ever ate at inside WDW so it’s pretty special for us. My favorite is the chicken wrap! In fact, I could be wrong, but I think it’s the only thing I’ve ever ordered there, I love it so much!

Columbia Harbor House – We’ve never tried this one before, but since we like LTT’s atmosphere and the food sounds spectacular, it’s been put on our list of “Hope-to-try” restaurants this time.

Sunshine Seasons – We JUST discovered how amazing SS is last trip, and I think we’re hooked. I had this turkey sandwich that was so amazing that I’m drooling now just thinking about it. We hope to try to desserts this time around! I’m especially looking forward to the Key Lime pie!



Do you guys have any suggestions for other places or things to try? What's your favorite Disney snack or meal? I'm always up for trying new things!

 

[autumnpalm]

You MUST try the strawberry shortcake at SS, it is my favourite dessert in Epcot. Also, you have to try sushi at the CG. I am a huge sushi fan and the sushi there looks soooooo good! We aren't planning on eating there so you'll have to taste test for me!

The only restaurants you've posted that I haven't been to are Coral Reef and Mama Melrose's. Oh, and Pecos Bill's. We're planning on eating there in May though! Would you recommend the chicken wrap over the burgers?

Boma is really different, we almost made ADRs for this trip but Teppan Edo ended up winning. It's one of my DM's favourite restaurants. Their soups and peanut rice are amazing and I absolutely love their banana bread pudding.

AHHHH I am so hungry now!!!